Paloma on my mind…

Two words: Summer. Cocktails. People feel the warmth of the sunshine and automatically start making margaritas. But why? They aren’t even the favored drink in Mexico. Step aside Margarita…it’s the Paloma’s time to shine.

So what is a Paloma you ask? Let me tell you what you’ve been missing. A Paloma is a refreshing tequila cocktail made with grapefruit. While the traditional is great, I found a recipe for one with a twist by adding some rosé wine to the concoction.

So you have some choices on how you get the grapefruit flavor. You can use fresh squeezed/bottled grapefruit juice plus club soda for the base. There’s also a fantastic Italian grapefruit soda that you can get some places (including Whole Foods). If you have access to Polar Beverages Dry Grapefruit soda, that also makes an excellent mixer for this drink.

For the wine, I tried both a still rosé and a sparkling. The sparkling I had already was Filipa Pato Sparkling Rosé and for the still I used the Elicio IGP Rose. While the still was great, the sparkling just gave the drink that little extra oomph. Who doesn’t like more oomph?

Now the fun part, picking the TEQUILA! Well if you’ve read our recent post about our trip to Mexico, you know I’m going to pick Fortaleza. I prefer the Reposado, but the Blanco works well in a Paloma also. The Reposado is aged in oak whiskey barrels, giving it a nice mellow flavor profile. If you don’t want to splurge on the Fortaleza, we have the Arette Blanco and Reposado as well – both great, low cost options from a quality distillery.

Here is my final recipe. Enjoy on a scorcher of a summer day on your own or if you feel so inclined to share, make sure it’s with someone you adore!

Rosé Paloma

2 oz Tequila – Blanco or Reposado

3 oz Grapefruit soda

2 oz Rosé wine (still or sparkling)

1 oz Fresh lime juice

2-3 Sprigs of fresh thyme

Worm salt

Lime or grapefruit wedge for garnish

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Cut a lime wedge and wet the rim of your glass, then dip the rim into a bowl of the worm salt.

In a shaker, combine the tequila, lime juice, and the rosé. Shake for 10-15 seconds.